Grilling is a flavorful way to prepare meals.  Grill meat, vegetables, fruits, and even pizza.  There are multitudes of great recipes.  Add flavor variety to your foods by using marinades, spice and herb rubs, sauces, flavored butter, salsa, or chutney.

Add Creativity

• Jazz up a burger with jalapenos, pineapple, and barbecue sauce.
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar on a steak and sprinkle with feta or blue cheese.
• Rub a steak with equal parts salt, brown sugar, and coffee (freshly ground, dry) for a quick flavor variation.
• Vegetables are fabulous grilled whole or chopped; add fresh herbs, seasoned salt, or flavored oils to enhance the rich grilled flavor.
• Grill marinated chicken and top with Muenster cheese and roasted tomatoes.
• Grill pineapple spears, nectarine halves, or apple slices for a sweet treat.

To ensure food safety:

At the grocery store, select and place perishable foods in your grocery cart last.  Keep the raw meat away from fresh produce and ready-to-eat foods to prevent the possibility of cross-contamination.  You do not want the raw meat juices on your produce.  When bagging the food as you check out at the grocery store, be certain the meat, poultry, and seafood are in separate bags.  The cooking temperatures are different, and you do not want to risk a food-borne illness.  Refrigerate perishable foods as quickly as possible to avoid having food sit in the temperature danger zone:  41-135 ^oF (degrees Fahrenheit).

Thaw meat in the refrigerator:  completely defrost the meat to ensure even cooking on the grill.

Keep cold foods cold until ready to grill by storing them in the refrigerator or in a cooler on ice. Your goal is to keep the temperature of raw meat, seafood, and poultry below 41 ^oF.

Separate raw and cooked foods:  store raw meat below-cooked foods in the refrigerator.  If storing/transporting foods in a cooler, have separate coolers for raw meat, raw fruits and vegetables, ready-to-eat salads, and ice for serving with beverages.

Begin all food preparation with clean hands.  Wash your hands often to ensure a safe meal.  Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Use clean utensils, clean and lightly oil the grill, and use a clean plate to hold the grilled foods (not the same one used for the raw meat).  Be sure outdoor tables and grill handles are clean for each use.

Use a food thermometer to determine when the food has reached a safe internal temperature – color is not necessarily a good ‘doneness indicator.’  Check the temperature of the meat in the thickest part, away from the bones.  Safety tip: occasionally check your thermometer for accuracy.

Additional information:

• FSIS Food Safety Education and Communications Staff Meat and Poultry Hotline:     1-888-674-6854 or email at mphotline@usda.gov
• USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service “Safe Summer Grilling”
• Safe Internal Temperature chart